18 Jul 2015 15:32:46
The one player remaining with his team from the start of those albatross contracts it Brian Campbell of the Florida Panthers. I believe Dale Tallon will try to acquire a puck movin defenceman with rushing capabilities since most of their D are of the defensive or 2-way variety. Players that can join the rush but not start the rush. If I am wrong and this may be a result of the system they want to employ on the ice, then the trade doesn't make sense. I see the depth chart of Toronto's blue line, and the struggles Mike Babcock had in Detroit, and realize that the only defenceman Toronto has in their system with a right handed shot if Petter Granberg and Tom Nilsson. Granberg has been rumoured to be close to NHL ready, I believe this to be false and an evaluation of the old Leafs regime, leaving only Polak and Robidas with right hand shots. Roman being a trade deadline candidate and Robidas being old. I propose Florida and Toronto to swap D-men in an attempt to cater to each others needs.

To Florida:
D- Jake Gardiner

To Toronto:
D- Erik Gudbranson

If Toronto is going to move Gardiner, it will be for a player of similar age and positional need. Gudbranson is a former 2010 3rd overall pick from the Kingston Frontenacs and has amassed 245 NHL games in 5 seasons with the Panthers. He is a career -52 and has 9 goals and 24 assists in his young career. Jake's stats line is far more attractive with a -28 in 246 NHL games, 21 goals and 68 assists for 89 points. Even though Gardiner is 2 years older, he's still only 25 and has 4 years left at $4, 050,000 per year. Erik has one year left at $2, 500,000 and will be looking for a raise for his next contract. The aesthetics of this trade does not favour Florida by giving up on their former 3rd overall selected home grown player, with leadership qualities and intangibles to his game. But the game has changed, and scoring is at an all-time premium. With the emergence of Alex Petrovic and large bodies such as Mike Matheson and Ian McCoshen coming up the pipeline, it makes Erik expendable, even though Petrovic is the only right handed dman of their top prospects, they have Aaron Ekblad and Steven Kampfer already playing in the NHL with right handed shots. Maybe this a proposal that turns out to be at the trade deadline and would involve draft picks to go either way, but no one has the where-with-all to predict where either of these teams will be at come March 2016 and that will dictate what draft picks will be involved.

1.) 19 Jul 2015
19 Jul 2015 00:27:55
Real good post this would help both clubs

2.) 19 Jul 2015
19 Jul 2015 02:10:49
love it. always liked gudbranson. i'd love to see him on the leafs

3.) 19 Jul 2015
19 Jul 2015 18:49:34
U mean Gubranson aka Luke Schenn? I think he's over rated but I could be wrong.

4.) 20 Jul 2015
19 Jul 2015 23:16:27
Defensive defencemen are always considered overrated and should be compared only to each other. Gudbranson is a lot like Luke Schenn but there's nothing wrong with Luke and will be a compareable come contract talks. Leafs will probably lose this trade but it fills both teams needs. Toronto has Morgan Reilly and Dion Phaneuf who are offensively inclined and Morgan bring a prolific puck rusher. Jake is a superb NHL talent even though the Maple Leafs faithful are annoyed with his game. I belive he's one of the strongest skaters in the entire league.

5.) 20 Jul 2015
20 Jul 2015 14:52:55
I say give gardiner atleast till trade deadline in Babcock city before we rush him out. Like the proposal though